This invention relates to a unique type of storage battery which is capable of fully exploiting the potential of its components by delivering a maximum of power in relation to the stoichiometric potential and weight of its components.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,533,845 to Katsoulis discloses a lightweight air or oxygen battery for low current, low capacity operation which can operate at temperatures as low as -40.degree. C. The battery comprises a plurality of single cells, each made up of a consumable metal anode and a lightweight air or oxygen depolarized cathode separated by an electrolyte. The electrolyte can be a free flowing solution of aqueous potassium hydroxide (KOH), or a trapped electrolyte in a suitable matrix. The cathode is a hydrophobic membrane in contact with a conductive metal support screen and catalytic layer. The anode can be any conventional solid electroconductor employed in a metal/air or metal/oxygen cell, such as lead, zinc, iron, cadmium, aluminum or magnesium.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,515,593 to Nickols discloses a fuel cell having an asbestos matrix soaked in aqueous KOH as an electrolyte. The matrix is sandwiched between two catalyzed nickel electrodes, one serving as an anode and one serving as a cathode. The fuel cell also includes an electrically conductive backup having two members with a lamination bond at the interface surface.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,940,385 to Ackerman discloses as a negative electrode suitable in accumulators, a sintered porous iron in a framework of strips of an iron-nickel alloy.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,616,165 to Brennan discloses as an electrode, an electrolyte device which is made of a glass fiber base wherein the fibers are sheathed with a thin conductive metal coating. Substantially all the fibers making up the electrode are in circuit with each other.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,600,230 to Stachurski et al discloses a gas electrode for use in electrochemical generators of the gas depolarized and fuel cell types. The gas electrode is comprised of a porous, conductive, catalytically active layer combined with a hydrophobic, highly conductive layer. A preferred conductive material is silver in fibrous form in a matrix of carbon and hydrophobic resin.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,836,397 to Hardman discloses an iron electrode comprising 60-80 wt. % iron oxide particles having a fuse coating of an additive which can be sulfur, selenium or tellurium.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,925,100 to Buzzelli discloses an air electrode for use in metal/air rechargeable batteries. The air electrode includes a hydrophobic layer having electrochemically active materials such as high surface area carbon and a silver-mercury catalyst, and manganese dioxide.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,104,197 to Heffler discloses a gas diffusion electrode comprising a hydrophobic layer of gas permeable electrically conductive material and a hydrophobic layer containing a catalyst.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,132,547 to Buzzelli et al discloses a method for making a self-supporting activated iron electrode by thermal reduction and sintering.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,168,349 to Buzzelli discloses a method for operating an iron/air battery system with a series of horizontally disposed, flat, stationary compact cells in cooperation with a pumping means that evacuates electrolyte from the battery, rather than pumping it in.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,178,418 To Croset et al discloses a galvanic cell comprising:
(a) a first solid non-porous body capable of storing an ionisable species having a high coefficient of diffusion within the body; PA0 (b) a first electrode made of a grid of material able to catalyze the ionisation of the ionisable species; PA0 (c) a polycrystalline ceramic thin film layer deposited on the first body in a layer so thin as to exhibit low ohmic resistance to the current produced by said ionisable species and a relatively high ohmic resistance to the elctronic current; PA0 (d) a second electrode made of a grid; PA0 (e) a second body capable of receiving or furnishing the ionisable compound, producing electrical energy in the process, or generating said ionisable compound by absorbing electrical energy.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,181,776 to Lindstrom discloses an electrochemical cell containing a positive electrode and a negative electrode with electrolyte disposed in the interspace between the two electrodes, whereby at least one electrode is a gas electrode, with means for supply and discharge of an electrochemically active substance in the gaseous state.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,236,927 to Buhl et al discloses a method for manufacturing an iron sintered electrode.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,248,682 to Lindstrom et al discloses a thin electrocatalytic gas diffusion electrode and current collector assembly comprising an open pore electrically conducting carbon cloth having a coating of a uniform mixture of catalytic carbon particles and hydrophobic binder particles evenly deposited on the cloth.
Each of the above prior art materials disclose improvements in conventional storage batteries and fuel cell technology. These technologies have heretofore been distinct.